Still Watching the Skies: Episode 40 “The Invisible Man”

Robert, Nat, and Cody take a journey back to the early days of the talkies, and prior to the Hayes Code, with 1933’s THE INVISIBLE MAN. It’s a classic of Universal’s horror films and from James Whale.

It’s safe to say that there’s not much disagreement with the conventional wisdom on this film, but we talk about it at length. Plus a Cinecast tradition of mispronounced names lives on! You have to listen to find out who is continuing that tradition. We give much plaudits to Claude Rains as the deranged Invisible Man who reminds us of another famous villain. We also discuss the life and filmography of James Whale. (We’d be remiss in not noting that Director’s Club has a recent episode dedicated to James Whale which you can find here.)

In particular, we discuss how James Whale identifies with the outsider. And James Whale’s eccentricities are on full display in THE INVISIBLE MAN which goes a ways to justify The Invisible Man’s misanthropy. If that’s not enough, we get into the morality of the tale and the objections that H.G. Wells’s had to the adaptation.

If that’s not enough, we spend the second half of the episode with Zach Snyder’s and Joss Whedon’s JUSTICE LEAGUE. It’s fair to say that we all had a lot of problems with the film amidst some highlights. We also geek out over the direction that the post-credits scene promises and at least have some positive hopes for future endeavors of live action DC on film. At least if you’re willing to wade through some pointed criticism.

So, try not to disappear on us. You can give us a play below or Download the episode. Also, feel free to let us know what you think by commenting below or Email Us at [email protected] as we appreciate feedback.

Next month, we journey back to New Zealand and the humble beginnings of the director of one of the biggest franchises on the planet with Peter Jackson’s BAD TASTE. Is this perhaps the most disreputable film ever directed by an eventual Best Director winner? You’ll have to tune in next month to find out.